PODCAST · news
USSC Briefing Room
by United States Studies Centre
The USSC Briefing Room is a podcast from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. It gives you a seat at the table for a briefing on the latest US news and foreign policy. Co-hosts Mari Koeck, Jared Mondschein and Samuel Garrett talk to experts to cover what you need to know and what's beneath the surface of the news.
Episodes
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AI, hypersonics and the future of defence innovation with Doug Beck
Eleven years since the Pentagon established the Defense Innovation Unit, that office has become a key instrument to rapidly test, prototype and scale promising technology to meet urgent demands. Amidst intense technological competition with China, including many with military applications like…
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Move fast and break things? Trump’s defence transformation
One of the prominent refrains of the second Trump administration has been, “move fast and break things.” The administration has moved extraordinarily quickly to implement changes across all of government, even the complex world of defence, from procurement to the battlefield. What defence changes...
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AUKUS at five: Full steam ahead?
Today marks five years since US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a joint virtual press conference to make one of the biggest defence announcements in Australia’s history: AUKUS. Since then, all three countries have changed...
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The changing calculus of US military sales and procurement
Balancing the supply and demand of US military sales and procurement is never easy, but amidst the fighting with Iran and the ongoing war in Ukraine, that calculous is incredibly tight. What is the current state of play for US military sales and acquisition? How is this changing under President...
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America at 250 | Declaration of Sentiments vs the Declaration of Independence
Today marks 106 years since women were granted the right to vote in the United States, with the ratification of the 19th amendment. The journey towards voting equality is a complicated part of America’s history. While the Declaration of Independence declares equality for all, the battle for…
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What can Americans learn about Australian politics with POLITICO’s Ryan Heath
Australia has long had a fascination with US politics, but now US news outlet POLITICO is bringing Australian politics to the US and the world. How similar are the MAGA and One Nation movements? What is something Americans should know about Australian politics at the moment? And why come to...
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USSC at 20: What’s changed and where to from here?
This year marks 20 years since the establishment of the United States Studies Centre (USSC), which has since welcomed more than 20,000 students and has grown to become one of Australia’s largest think tanks and one of the largest American Studies institutions globally. What was the original…
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America at 250 | Geographical implications of the American Revolution
America’s independence was a catalyst for the founding of Australia and the pursuit of land that drove the settlement of America continued in new ways after the Revolutionary War. How did the American Revolution remake maps across the globe? What role has the pursuit of land played in America’s...
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America at 250 | Innovation from America’s founding to the space race
When Americans landed on the moon, it was a political statement heard around the world. But the innovation that accelerated the space race didn’t start with the Cold War, it goes back to the founding of America. What was it about the Declaration of Independence that set the trajectory for…
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America at 250 | Addressing the contradictions in the Declaration of Independence in an Australian classroom
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” This line from the Declaration of Independence is known around the world, but how did this sit alongside the existence of slavery? What broader themes should influence our interpretation of the language of the declaration?...
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America at 250 | America’s sacred (yet secular) documents with David Smith
The words of the Declaration of Independence are world famous and, in many ways, America’s founding documents are “sacred” although they are secular. What makes America’s Declaration of Independence and Constitution unique? How are Australia’s founding documents different? How have these...
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America at 250 | US influence on Australian democracy
Australia’s history over the past 250 years is inextricably linked with the American experiment. What are the successes and challenges of the US diverse and decentralised governance model? How have US politics influenced Australian politics? Can One Nation become like the MAGA movement under a...
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How is economic security changing the politics and foreign policy in the UK and Australia?
The term “economic security” is having a bit of a moment. While generally unheard of a few years ago, the past three Australian budget speeches have all mentioned economic security and this year, the Australian government announced $38.9 million in funding to increase economic security and...
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What next for the AI race?
From online chatbots to enormous data centres, it is increasingly difficult to ignore artificial intelligence in our daily lives. Do governments still stand a chance to shape the future of AI development? What could Australia’s data centre boom mean for the nation’s energy grid? Does Australia…
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Will the largest US defence budget clear Congress?
Last month the Trump administration submitted the largest defence budget request in history – US$1.5 trillion, which is a 40% increase from the prior year. At the same time, the administration is seeking to circumvent Congress’ ‘power of the purse’ through various legislative manoeuvres,...
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Signals, not spectacle: Dr Michael Green on Takaichi’s visit to Australia
For our 100th episode, USSC CEO Dr Michael Green joins the podcast to discuss Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Australia last week. She and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shared a number of joint statements on economic security, critical minerals, energy security…
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Trump vs the Pope: Politics, faith and power
Throughout March and April, Pope Leo XIV began speaking out against the war in Iran and the violence, saying it was an “unjust war.” Shortly after 60 Minutes aired an episode with Catholic officials criticising the war, President Trump started attacking the Pope on social and then shared the...
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Is there space for Australia in outer space?
Space exploration has recaptured the public imagination. The successful Artemis II mission to the Moon heralds a new era of human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time since the 1970s. The United States, China and other global space powers are now racing to return to the Moon and...
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The state of play for Australia-Taiwan relations
Amid rising global tensions, Taiwan continues to be a regional flashpoint in the Indo-Pacific. What is the current state of Australia-Taiwan relations? What challenges does Taiwan face in a new security era? How should regional allies and partners engage with Taiwan on its own terms — and what...
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The future of nuclear risk: Iran, China and the end of New START
From the expiration of the New START Treaty to the war with Iran, headlines about nuclear risks are consistently in the news at the moment. How significant is the expiration of the New START Treaty? How have nuclear risks changed since the war with Iran began? What are the major nuclear threats...
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Convenience, choice or necessity? Examining the case for striking Iran
In this episode USSC CEO Dr Michael Green and USSC Director of Research Jared Mondschein sat down with USSC Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on Friday, 6 March 2026 to discuss the latest on the war with Iran. What led the United States to attack Iran now? How does this compare to the...
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Is AUKUS Pillar II a solution in need of a problem?
The Trump administration recently completed its AUKUS review, including a directive from President Trump to proceed “full steam ahead” on AUKUS Pillar I. But even after securing the Trump stamp of approval, there has been comparatively little information on how the review handled Pillar II and...
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Mike Green and Lavina Lee on Iran, Venezuela, Greenland and Carney’s speech
Are we seeing a rupture or a transition in 2026? USSC CEO Dr Michael Green and USSC Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Dr Lavina Lee sat down with host Mari Koeck to discuss what the geopolitical developments in Iran, Venezuela and Greenland mean for alliances and middle powers. Can NATO...
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India’s changing relationships with the United States, China, Russia and Australia
India’s relationships with key international partners changed significantly in 2025. Following the tariff standoff with the United States, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in close meetings with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Summit. And an Indian Defence…
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Adm. Lisa Franchetti (ret’d) on the future of US military leadership
Admiral Lisa Franchetti’s career spanned 40 years, nearly half of which was at sea. She was the first woman to serve as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations and only the second woman to ever be promoted to four-star admiral in the US Navy....
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Understanding the MAGA rift
Recently we have seen cracks forming within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement. We are seeing Republican members of Congress push back on issues, like the Epstein files or President Trump’s approach to Ukraine, in the most significant way since he took office in January. What is causing...
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How do the Quad countries view Trump’s second term?
The United States Studies Centre (USSC) has just released our annual Allies and partners poll. The USSC polled publics in Australia, the United States, Japan and, for the first time this year, India. This means there was polling data to compare public opinion across all four Quad countries. Where...
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Supreme Court tests Trump’s tariffs – with Chas Licciardello
On 2 April 2025, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on most countries around the globe as part of “Liberation Day” but is the president allowed to impose tariffs like that? This is the question the US Supreme Court is considering at the moment. What were the arguments for and against the...
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How US allies can influence US policy with Gen. David Berger (Ret’d)
As China’s rapid military modernisation reshapes the regional security landscape, deterrence has become the cornerstone of US and allied strategies in the Indo-Pacific. Former US Marine Corps Commandant General David Berger (ret’d) joined the USSC Briefing Room, reflecting on the bold reforms…
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From Kirk to Grand Blanc: Is there a throughline in religious violence?
Recently, a gunman killed four people and wounded eight at a Latter Day Saints (or Mormon) church in Michigan. President Trump described this as “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America” – but there are distinct differences between this and other high-profile...
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Why Trump wants to make US shipbuilding great again
President Trump wants to make American shipbuilding great again. China has significant dominance in shipbuilding with 34% of all ships on water being made in China and 57% of ships under construction being made in China. How do systems around finance and infrastructure influence global power...
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The prognosis for the Quad and other US alliances in the Indo-Pacific
This week Lisa Curtis joins the podcast. She is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Program for a New American Security and she served in the US Government for more than 20 years across the White House National Security Council, CIA, State Department and Capitol Hill. What has…
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The role of panda diplomacy in international relations
When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited China this year, his visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding got some of the most media attention. How did pandas become China’s national treasure and how are they used in diplomacy? Could trade wars or heightened...
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Trump 2.0: Energy and climate change
Legislation is hard to pass in the United States, but tends to have a longer-lasting impact than executive orders, which can be easily overturned. President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act put climate change at the forefront of his legislative agenda. Now, with President Trump’s One Big…
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A legal look at Epstein
Six years after his death in prison, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to make headlines due to his longtime friendship with President Trump. While most news cycles in the Trump-era have a flashbang approach, this one has remarkable staying power and the legal logistics are key to...
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America’s AI Action Plan unpacked
The White House has recently released America’s AI Action Plan: Winning the race and, in launching the plan, President Trump said, “America is the country that started the AI race. And as President of the United States, I’m here today to declare that America is going to win it.” How much of the…
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What is (and isn’t) in the One Big Beautiful Bill?
Before he even took office for his second term, President Trump began pushing for what became known as the 'Big Beautiful Bill' (BBB). Rather than taking a piecemeal approach to legislation, he wanted to take Republicans’ majority in Congress and push for one piece of sweeping legislation. On the...
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How could Trump’s film tariffs impact Australia?
When President Trump’s war on international trade barriers kicked-off, the sweeping scale and scope of his tariffs were staggering. But even after Liberation Day, there’s one proposed tariff that seems to have caught many by surprise – the 100% tariff on any US films produced in different...
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What Japan can teach the world about economic security
Economic security is becoming increasingly important amidst growing geopolitical tensions. In light of China's 2010 rare earth mineral export restrictions and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on supply chains, Japan has prioritised not only strengthening supply chain resilience and market...
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AUKUS review, “Golden Dome” and defence spending: Australia and Trump’s defence policy
Initial results of Elbridge Colby’s AUKUS review are expected soon, but this feeds into broader conversations around increasing defence spending and even the role Australia can play in Trump’s “Golden Dome” project. Where have we seen shifts and continuity from Biden to Trump in defence policy?…
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Unpacking Trump 2.0: Tariffs
In the third episode in our series on Unpacking Trump 2.0 we sat down with USSC Senior Economic Adviser Dr John Kunkel to talk about tariffs under President Trump. Where did President Trump’s love of tariffs come from? Are they effective? And how can US trading partners respond? For more on this...
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A NATO Summit amidst global turmoil
This year’s NATO Summit is held in The Hague with the backdrop of strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and significant changes in the US relationship with Ukraine. How is this year’s summit different from last year? How will the United States engage with the forum? What outcomes might we see from the...
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Unpacking Trump 2.0: Critical minerals
Dealmaking is one of the defining characteristics of the Trump 2.0 presidency. And this is perhaps most obvious in critical minerals. From the critical minerals deal with Ukraine to the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China, critical minerals are front of mind for this administration.…
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Unpacking Trump 2.0: Alliances
In his first few months in office, President Trump has followed a markedly different course in his second term compared to his first. How far can Trump’s “move fast and break things” approach to governing get him? What is happening behind the headlines? What can Australia and other US allies do…
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Biden’s legacy and Democratic scrutiny
When Democrats lost the 2024 election, questions immediately swirled around President Biden and his decision to run again. Just as a new book critical of Biden was about to launch, a spokesperson for the former president announced he had just been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate...
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What Korean President Yoon’s impeachment means for Australia and the region
In December 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and had military troops surround the National Assembly before reversing that decision following an immediate backlash and widespread protests. On 4 April 2025, South Korea’s Constitutional Court announced its verdict to...
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What Signalgate revealed about technology and intelligence sharing
When US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz set up a Signal group chat to coordinate principals for discussions on a US strike on the Houthis in Yemen, he had no idea that the Editor in Chief for The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was part of the chat and would later share the content of their…
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The uphill battle for Australian defence innovation
A critical component and potential vulnerability of AUKUS is Australia’s manufacturing capability. And even beyond AUKUS, the 2023 Defence Strategic Review cited the need for a whole-of-nation uplift in manufacturing and investment to fulfil Australia’s defence objectives. What is the state of…
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Former USAID official on the DOGE cuts and pathway forward
Since President Trump took office for a second time on 20 January 2025, he has driven an unprecedented level of sweeping governmental change. One of the first and most drastic changes was to the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The Trump administration has cancelled the majority...
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The lasting impacts of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars on the US military
Dr Mara Karlin joined us on the USSC Briefing Rood podcast to talk about her book The Inheritance: America’s Military After Two Decades of War. What impact did the extended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on the US military? What lessons have been learned since this time? And how prepared is…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The USSC Briefing Room is a podcast from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. It gives you a seat at the table for a briefing on the latest US news and foreign policy. Co-hosts Mari Koeck, Jared Mondschein and Samuel Garrett talk to experts to cover what you need to know and what's beneath the surface of the news.
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United States Studies Centre
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How many episodes does USSC Briefing Room have?
USSC Briefing Room currently has 116 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is USSC Briefing Room about?
The USSC Briefing Room is a podcast from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. It gives you a seat at the table for a briefing on the latest US news and foreign policy. Co-hosts Mari Koeck, Jared Mondschein and Samuel Garrett talk to experts to cover what you need to know...
How often does USSC Briefing Room release new episodes?
USSC Briefing Room publishes regularly with 116 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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You can listen to USSC Briefing Room on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts USSC Briefing Room?
USSC Briefing Room is created and hosted by United States Studies Centre.
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